This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from Japanese Application No. 2000-287099 filed on Sep. 21, 2000, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention generally relates to a vehicle driving position adjusting device. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a vehicle driving position adjusting device for adjusting positions of a steering wheel, a seat, a pedal, and other devices which are related to a driver""s driving position.
In known vehicles, positions of a steering wheel, a seat, and a mirror, respectively, are memorized in order to be restored to their original position after being moved. In such vehicles, a particular driver can easily restore an optimum driving position for himself/herself if the particular driver memorizes and restores the respective positions of the steering wheel, the seat, and the mirror as his/her optimum driving position after another driver has rearranged the respective positions of the steering wheel, the seat, and the mirror.
In recent years, due to the development of control technology for adjusting the positions of devices which are related to a driver""s operation such as a throttle pedal and a brake pedal, a position of the pedals can be included in the driver""s optimum driving position which can be memorized and restored by the particular driver.
However, when the pedal position can be adjusted, the seat position and the pedal position come to have a two-dimensional relationship in which a standardized position is indefinite. In this case, the seat position and the pedal position usually cannot be used as a standard when adjusting an optimum driving position for another driver. This is rather inconvenient to the other driver.
In the known vehicles, the driver typically does not consider leaving a space for an airbag deploying from the steering wheel when adjusting the seat to an optimum driving position for the driver. Thus, even at the optimum driving position of the driver, if a distance between the steering wheel position and the seat position is too close, the space for deploying the airbag becomes too narrow. The driver is insufficiently protected when the distance between the steering wheel and the seat becomes too close as a result of driver""s positioning of the seat to achieve the optimum driving position, using the known devices.
In another known air bag system, a complex and expensive controlling system is used to control the amount of inflation gas for the air bag depending on the distance between the steering wheel position and the seat position for the safe airbag deployment.
In the known vehicles, irrespective of keeping an optimum driving position of the driver, the driver occasionally may rest or sleep by increasing a reclining angle of the seat backrest from the driving position while the car is parked. While asleep, the driver may step on the throttle pedal unconsciously. This is dangerous. Thus, it would be beneficial to separate the throttle pedal from the driver while the driver is reclined and resting or asleep, in order to avoid an accident.
To achieve these and other objects of the invention, a vehicle driving position adjusting device is provided. A seat control means detects a seat position and moves the seat. A pedal control means detects a pedal position and moves the pedal device. Positional relationship means indicates a positional relationship between the seat and the pedal as a standard physical characteristic curve adapted to a plurality of standard human physiques. The seat control means and the pedal control means move the seat and the pedal respectively to a return point based on a selected standard physique characteristic curve.
According to another aspect of the invention, the vehicle driving position adjusting device includes a steering wheel control means for detecting a position of a steering wheel, a seat control means for detecting a position of a seat and for moving the seat, and an indicating means for indicating a positional relationship between the steering wheel and the seat as a safe characteristic curve and formed to be adapted to a safe deployment space of an airbag deployed from the steering wheel. When it is judged that the safe deployment space of the airbag cannot be ensured according to a relative positions between the steering wheel and the seat, the steering wheel control means moves the steering wheel or the seat control means moves the seat based on the safe characteristic curve.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the vehicle driving position adjusting device includes a seat control means for detecting a reclining angle of a backrest of a seat and for moving the seat and a pedal control means for moving a throttle pedal. When it is judged that the seat is not at a driving posture judging from the reclining angle of the backrest of the seat and when it is judged that an engine rotates more than a predetermined successive time at an engine rpm greater than a predetermined value, the pedal control means moves the throttle pedal away from the seat or the seat control means moves the seat away from the throttle pedal.